Gro Interview Part 1:

(Incoherent talking and laughter)

I2: rolling

I: Ok, so firstly congratulations on the Olympic gold for Norway and the IHF player of the year. It’s a pretty special year, 2008, for you. So when can we see Ikast, and I have to call them Ikast still, enjoying the same success and today was a tough game but uh…

G: Today we play against a very good team so of course that’s one of the reasons why we lose. But ... I think we have a good team in Ikast too, but we’re unstable so sometimes we play fantastic and other matches we don’t play so good, so we just keep trying to practice and get better.

I: What do you think about the takeover… the FCM takeover? What do you think will be the future?

G: It’s great because it’s more spectators; it’s a better atmosphere in the arena so hopefully it will continue to be like this

I: A more Hungarian atmosphere? … More cheering

G: Yeah it’s much more fun.

I: You like playing in front of a crowd that’s cheering

G: Well yes and no. Actually sometimes it’s better when there’s no one looking. But of course… it’s very fun... when you run into the arena and you can see the crowd and so many people come and try to help us.

I: Good. So with the team, for Ikast and for the national team also, what do you value most in the team … what’s the most important things about the players in the teams?

G: For me personally? I think it’s very important to have fun… and I like players who play with their heart … sometimes I don’t play well … but if you keep trying and you show that you’re willing to do whatever it takes for your teammates… to win I think this is a really important quality.

(Pontus barks… Gro laughs)

I: Pontus wants to talk as well.

G: Yeah, he says hi to everyone.

I: Pontus says hi.

G: And of course there’s so many players that I admire and that I enjoy watching playing … try to learn by other players, but I like the players who play with their heart, have fun when they’re playing and I like the players who’s good both in defence and the attack.

I: Yeah… very all around players with a good attitude. Fantastic. So I was going to ask you about players that you particularly admire… any players in particular…

G: Well there’s someone… called Katja.

I: Oh yeah?

G: Yeah. I like her.

I: I hear she’s okay.

G: Yeah.

I: So we need to see her back on the court.

G: Yeah. She’s been very… how to call it… unlucky

I: Really unlucky

G: Yeah, it’s tragic, but she’s keeping her spirit high.

I: Absolutely, we’ll see her back soon

G: But there’s so many players I admire and that I enjoy playing with and enjoy watching… I could name 20, 30.

I: I was going to ask you about picking your all-time dream team but that’s probably an impossible thing to do with no warning.

G: It’s impossible but I have one… I have one but I don’t want to share it because I’m so afraid that I’ll hurt someone’s feelings.

I: So have you been asked that question before?

G: Yeah of course.

I: Sorry, oh well. So just thinking about the team I’ve got some slight, some slightly silly questions about the players as well like who packs the most on road trips? Who takes the most stuff?

G: Uh… maybe me? Well I’m one of them I think. Um… well… who else who else… Kari-Anne Henriksen. Well I think she’s always bringing lots of clothes to every occasion.

I: And who has the worst taste in clothes would you say? The worst fashion sense?

G: Oooo…

I: I’m not going to tell anybody this by the way.

G: But I think maybe the problem in the team is that some of the players, they stay in their training outfit all the time. But when you’re travelling with the team, it’s… no one is watching us. So it’s probably a good thing to have your girlfriend around… so you try to… look okay.

I: This is true…this is true. Who’s the funniest? Who’s the team clown?

G: I would say Katja and Kari-Anne… if you know Kari-Anne. She’s hilarious, she’s fantastic.

I: So you’ll miss her next year when she’s gone.

G: Oh it’s so tragic, I’m so sad that she’s leaving. She’s one of my best friends here so...

I: But then you have a good, young Danish player coming in.

G: Yeah, but I don’t wanna talk about that because Kari-Anne, she’s very sad about this so…

I: One of the things that people kind of talked about on the forum are some of like the warm up songs and the music and stuff like that. What’s your favourite warm up song that you have or are there songs that play and you think “Ohhh noooo! Not again!”

G: I think it’s different kind of music for different occasions? So when we’re warming up it has to be something with a little bit tempo or some kind of power. But at home it’s different.

I: You don’t, you mean you don’t have you know… like Mika “Relax” all the time?

G: But…  what’s my favourite… I don’t know but I’m kind of an RnB girl. But when I’m warming up, I love the “Hot n Cold” and well I like most of the music we listen to.

I: Yeah, it seems good… good atmosphere too. What was the funniest thing, or the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you on court? That you can tell us.

G: Well I have many good stories… but I can’t tell so many of them, I’m sorry. But the best stories… they don’t involve me. It’s other players who have done very stupid, very funny things. Difficult question, I don’t know. Just look at her (Katja) and I have a really good one but I won’t share it.

I: We’ll turn the camera off, we promise right? Click* It’s off!

G: I’ll tell you one thing when we turn the camera off.

I: It’s a deal ok? Fantastic. The national team did okay without you guys in Macedonia. Are you going to be back for China? For the World Cup? Go back to China?

G: I think so, but I don’t know for sure. It depends on how my body…

I: You’re far too young  to be having a body with problems…

G: Yeah, but it’s cuz when you start playing when you’re very young and you play in the national team from your 20 years…

I: It’s a hard game.

G: Yeah, it’s… I can’t manage to stay on the floor, I fall a lot. It’s not so painful when I’m playing, but when I come home… yeah it hurts everywhere.

I: Yeah, you need more padding. It’s interesting, from a country where handball is not an established sport at all l